The annual benchmark meeting for those who lead the agri-food chain.
Business owners, chairs, CEOs and general managers
Next Edition:
May 2027 · Seville
SEMSA · The annual meeting of agri-food chain leaders
The annual meeting point for food industry leaders: debate sessions with the real protagonists of the industry and the development of new business opportunities in the global market.
Cases
Dialogue
Who is SEMSA for?
SEMSA is aimed at business owners, chairs, CEOs and executives who sit on the management committee of companies across the entire food chain: primary sector, industry, distribution and ancillary services. A meeting for those directly involved in the strategic decisions of their organizations.
Three reasons
What you will take away from SEMSA
Find out what leading companies are doing in the face of the major challenges and trends in the agri-food chain.
Methodology
Learning by making decisions: the Case Method
Before SEMSA, each participant prepares the cases individually. During the sessions, business owners and executives analyze the decisions involved and compare different points of view. They then talk with the business protagonists to learn what they decided, how they did it and what the results were.
Individual preparation
Debate session
A faculty member leads the debate among chairs and general managers. Nobody watches from the sidelines.
Colloquium with the protagonist
Carlos Villar (Primaprix), Rafael Juan (Vicky Foods) and Alberto Torrado (Alsea) answer questions in the room.
Application to your own company
You close each block with tested judgment for your own company: growth, succession, international expansion.
Curriculum
Three sessions to understand the challenges transforming the sector
The three SEMSA sessions address trends and challenges relevant to the agri-food chain and show, first-hand from their protagonists, what the leading companies in the sector are doing. The cases are premiered at the Seminar and analyze the most current business situations.
Making money by solving problems for industry and consumers.
- Company: Primaprix
- Challenge: What are the keys to the value retail model and how far can it grow? A threat or an opportunity for manufacturer brands?
- Protagonist: Carlos Villar, co-founder and CEO of Primaprix (alumnus, ADECA 2016) · Session led by: Prof. Marisa Martínez
Test your conclusions with the protagonists
Direct dialogue with those who made the decisions in each case.
Taking the family business to the world: a three-generation story.
- Company: Vicky Foods
- Challenge: Generational succession and the 2026–2029 strategic plan: choosing the leadership of the third generation without losing the company’s identity or founding values.
- Protagonist: Rafael Juan, CEO of Vicky Foods (alumnus, ADECA 2008) · Session led by: Prof. Miguel Ángel Llano
Share the day with your peers
Business owners and management committee members from across the food chain.
The current pulse of global organized foodservice.
- Company: Grupo Alsea
- Challenge: Growing robustly and profitably in a “global league”: balancing growth, profitability and business complexity.
- Protagonist: Alberto Torrado, business owner and board member of Grupo Alsea · Session led by: Prof. Julio Audicana
Who will lead the sessions
Who leads the sessions
San Telmo faculty members will lead the debates and help translate the learning into the reality of each company.
Those who have already done it
Jerónimo Martins, FIPA, PortugalFoods: they have already sat in that room
Those who talk about PAS lead the Portuguese agri-food sector; that is the benchmark.
SEMSA in figures
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is SEMSA for?
The seminar is designed exclusively for business owners, chairs, CEOs and general managers. Places are limited: every seat is taken by someone who makes decisions at the highest level of their company, and that composition of the room is part of the value of the forum.
How is the day organized?
A full day, from 10:00 to 18:30, structured in three sessions: each one analyzes a company in the sector —this edition, Primaprix, Vicky Foods and Grupo Alsea—, is led by a San Telmo professor and includes the company’s protagonist in the colloquium. Registration includes materials, breakfast, coffee and lunch.
Do I need to prepare the cases in advance?
Yes. The cases are delivered before the seminar so that you arrive with your own position already taken: the debate starts from there. The preparation is manageable for a top executive’s schedule, and it is what turns the day into an exchange between equals rather than a conference.
What is the price?
The registration fee is €1,160. Alumni of Long-Duration Programs: €1,050. Members of the Alumni Association: €930. The fee includes academic fees, seminar materials, breakfast, coffee and lunch.
Where and when is it held?
SEMSA will be held on 21 May 2026, from 10:00 to 18:30, at San Telmo Business School (Seville).
The seminar is the annual meeting point for food industry leaders and is part of the international network of strategic forums promoted by San Telmo Business School, together with FAMA (Morocco), SAM (Miami) and FAM (Milan).
How can I register?
SEMSA will be held on 21 May 2026, from 10:00 to 18:30, at San Telmo Business School (Seville).
The seminar is the annual meeting point for food industry leaders and is part of the international network of strategic forums promoted by San Telmo Business School, together with FAMA (Morocco), SAM (Miami) and FAM (Milan).